subscription

Isaac loves to cook.  His sister, Evie, gave him a subscription to Cooks Illustrated magazine
for Christmas one year and now we're hooked.  I'm pretty sure I would
never have picked up this magazine from the shelf of a bookstore.  But
it's great! 

Cooks Illustrated covers the science of
cooking in a fun, easy-to-follow format.  In any given issue, you might
learn how to best hard-boil an egg so the yolk stays centered (helpful
for deviled eggs), or which brand of stone-ground mustard is the most
flavorful, or the science behind aged cheese.  Who knows — all kinds
of interesting things. Their test-kitchen cooks tirelessly compare
techniques and recipes to arrive at the best methods and flavors.  Then
they quickly outline their test results and make suggestions in the
magazine.  Even better, their research and info is completely unbiased
– like Consumer Reports
for cooking techniques, food, & recipes.  The magazine doesn't have
any ads and is illustrated in old-fashioned pen-and-ink-drawings, which
I love.

Anyhow.  Yes, I'm recommending a cooking magazine as a favorite tool for March of the Tools.  Next time you're out shopping, stop by the magazine row and take a peek through Cooks Illustrated.  I love knowing the 'why' behind a good recommendation.  And Cooks Illustrated is full of 'whys' — and good recommendations.